God *slam* Damn *bang* Staff *bash* Meeting *headslamdesk*

I know how it happens. We live in an increasingly high-tech and distancing world. We are alienated from each other and stressed out. Managers are tasked with increasing employee moral. The staff, for their part, are so busy that they barely have time to talk to each other let alone managment.

Staff meetings sound like a good idea.

It's a time when members of your staff sit in convivial receptivity. In this atmosphere of good-will and productive interest in the greater good, one can air frustration and seek positive resolution. In the end, problems are solved. Problems like world peace, an end to world hunger, and an efficient solution to the crisis in the middle east. In the end, the employees leave with a glow in their hearts for their management teams. A chorus of angels sing out at the righteousness of the world. The lambs lay down with the lions and all is right in the world. Right?

Right?

Of course not. The reason why not? People like to bitch. People working in stressful jobs need to relieve pressure and it's the rare person who does that positively. In my experience a group can't do it at all. So people vent, often past the point where the venting is constructive, and often end up just bitching for an hour.

It's not that staff meetings are useless. Occasionally, they are very productive, but I think there is an inverse correlation between the amount of staff stress and the productivity of a staff meeting. I find the vent-meetings frustrating. I'm not saying that I always deal with my stress positively because I don't, but sitting around wasting an hour listening to people go on long winded tirades just wears down my reserves. And on those days when I actually let myself get sucked into the endless windging myself, I just end up feeling angry and anxious.

Today was a double length joint staff meeting. Double Trouble.

The staff is very stressed out.

Feh.